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I’ve been starting each month with Gala Darling’s Radical Self Love Almanac. October is all about embracing luxury. Amazingly, after filling out my chapter for the month, I pulled the Empress for my tarot of the month ritual. She’s all about – you guessed it! – luxury! So from the first of the month, I’ve been in a luxe state of mind.

Less than two weeks after I accepted this energy, I’ve had many opulent experiences come my way.

On October 2nd, I was invited to a preview party for the holiday Sugarfina line. It was held at Park Avenue – a swank restaurant that changes with the seasons. They served endless champagne, some of the most delicious and inventive hor d’oeuvres, AND let us sample all the candy we could handle. I discovered their chocolate covered popcorn and developed an addiction to a forthcoming gingerbread cookie bites. At the end of the night, they gifted us a bunch of candy and let us send a free candy bento to a friend.

A post shared by CarneyVorous (@carneyvorous) on Oct 2, 2018 at 5:23pm PDT

Last weekend my mom and sister treated me to spa day at the Sea Spa in Cape May. We got our nails done – I picked a gold that literally looks like my fingertips were dipped in gold leaf – and then we got hour-long facials. It felt glorious! But the best part was getting to spend time with my sister.

A post shared by CarneyVorous (@carneyvorous) on Oct 6, 2018 at 2:35pm PDT

This week, I was ready to make a hair appointment – and my haircuts cost around $300 because hair like mine requires the curl experts. Just before I was going to make the call, the salon emailed me that they needed hair models. So not only did I get the haircut I desperately needed, but it was FREE! So I treated myself to a bottle of their amazing leave in conditioner to treat my hair to the decadence it deserves.

What have you manifested lately?

October is my absolute favorite month. Time to break out the cozy things, ramp up my rituals, make copious amounts of chili and enjoy the playfully spooky energy. When Animal Crossing Pocket Camp announced a Halloween themed event, I was beside myself with excitement (and determination to complete all the tasks for once).

Finally, my campsite feels worth sharing, loving, and spending all my time in. Join me on a tour of the spooky and mysterious Camp Sinderthorne!

At the center of a haunted wood, beyond gnarled trees and occasional bones of poor lost souls, lies a clearing known as Crow’s Hollow. Here, the smell of burnt earth intoxicates the senses, preventing nearly all growth, except for a garden of poisonous lollipoppies and mutant pumpkins. Ruins of an old shrine and mausoleum cast shadows over a small graveyard.

A mischievous witch makes her home in a battered old Airstream trailer among the rubble. She keeps watch over the lost spirits and creatures who wander in and out of camp.

For those brave enough to step into her trailer, she offers tarot readings and her spell-casting services. Positive results, not guaranteed.

She’s been known to raise the dead on full moon nights, lighting incense and casting a circle to welcome them back to Earth. Ghostly and sometimes skeletal spirits of campers lost may appear!

Happy little ghosts often flit around the graveyard, sometimes taking her broomstick for a ride.

She’s always sure to tend to her garden. Jack the Pumpkin King loves lollipoppies and is always pleased with the little witch’s extensive crop.

I SO hope the new core Animal Crossing game will find ways to connect our campsites. I’d love for all this decor to transfer over in some way. Since Pokemon Go connects with Let’s Go, Eevee/Pikachu, it must be possible. Like many fans, I’ve actually spent real-world currency on ACPC and I’d like to see the content lifespan lengthen.

Ever since I was a kid I believed in signs and saw them often. Have you ever had your tea leaves read? Essentially, the loose tea leaves in the bottom of your teacup look like tiny symbols that have their own meanings. I’ll do a full tasseography post another day, because lately I’ve been finding my fortune in foam! Most Sundays, my boyfriend and I visit different NYC area breweries for #SundaySips. I love exploring new craft beers.

A post shared by CarneyVorous (@carneyvorous) on Jul 15, 2018 at 1:10pm PDT

If you let the beer settle a bit after pouring (and stare into your drink contemplating your life like I do), the head will dissipate into interesting patterns and symbols.

The Thumbprint – A very clear fingerprint appeared in my Coney Island Brewing Fangtooth DIPA. As our fingerprints associate closely with personal identity, I read this as an upcoming opportunity to focus on myself and expand or connect with my own being.

The Sabretooth Tiger – This was the sweet potato farmhouse ale from Big aLICe Brewing in Long Island City. If you tilt your head to the right, you’ll see the sabretooth in motion -his tail and hind leg at the top and front paws outstretched under two long teeth in an open mouth, ready to attack. I interpret this to mean someone or something from my past will reappear and likely bite me in the ass. I’ll have to battle a demon or face the reappearance of a ghost from my former life.

The Solar System – I’m pretty sure this was What’s Up, Doc – a carrot, ginger farmhouse style collaboration between Big aLICe and Rockaway Brewing Co. Two overlapping moons on top-left and top-right, almost completely symmetrical, pull on the three planets in the middle of the glass. This says there are multiple energy forces at work in my life (possibly 3 specific areas) and I need to go with the ebb and flow to allow the universe control over my greater good.

It’s eclipse season. That means cosmic shifts are coming TWICE this month and again in early August. Not to mention a big ole Mercury Retrograde in the middle of it all! According to my charts, I can expect monumental realizations over the next several weeks as well as changes to my world AND my perspectives.

As a routine-and-stability-loving Taurus, changes make me immensely uncomfortable. I just want to graze my little bull face in my cozy bull field of familiar bull grass and lovely bull flowers. My anxiety has been spiking over the last week, as evidenced by ab overindulgence in retail therapy.

To combat this, I’ve been really tuning into my body and listening to what I need. Here are some ways I’m creating my own stability:

Decluttering
A cleaning frenzy overtook me last weekend. I minimized clutter and reorganized things to make the space more open. Cleanliness helps me feel prepared for unexpected circumstances. No matter what I have to deal with, it won’t be the Battle of the Dustbunnies!

Meditating
Meditating really helps unblock my brain. Even more so when holding crystals charged with powerful energies! Rose Quartz has been helpful for grounding me. I’m also a fan of Lepidolite because it contains lithium (a component of anti-anxiety meds) naturally. It’s also a great stone to promote calm and balance, helping you to breathe and think before you react. As one who can be quick to react, carrying this crystal really helps scale me back. In fact, I just ordered this bracelet from Pine Shanty.

Inviting the elements
I subconsciously brought all four elements into my home in the last couple of weeks. Fire is almost always a given between candles and smudging, but I took a rare bath and loaded up my diffuser with water and rose oil. I completely overhauled the air circulation system in the apartment with a giant new BEAST of an AC unit and a new tower fan to push the coolness around. AND I brought in a plant, which I never do as I tend to kill them.

Resting
Aside from the aforementioned bath, I’ve been sleeping a LOT more than normal. Sleeping in until the last possible moment before I’m going to be late for work. Napping after work. Going to bed early on weekends. Sleeping in past 11am on weekends. Sleep is a vacation for your brain. In a sleep state, your mind can truly wander without distraction and process the loose ends of the day. I always love waking up and referencing Dream Moods for any imagery, colors, objects or themes that stood out in my dreams.

There are so many different kinds of modern witches. Kitchen witches work rituals into recipes and turn their homes into vibrant, sacred spaces. Green witches work with lots of herbs and likely keep their homes full of plant-life. Love witches manifest through sexual energy. Tech witches probably keep several magical apps on their phone to practice. I guess I’d call myself a Geek witch. I’m inspired by and often incorporate pop culture themes into my work As much as I love my tarot cards, I discovered a fun new method of divination with a pop culture tool.

A couple weeks ago, I bought a set of beautiful black and gold dice to start playing Dungeons and Dragons. If you’re not familiar, the set includes a 20-sided die that you roll in game to see if and how well your desired actions work. Everyone has probably flipped a coin to make a decision in their lifetime. That action relies on “fate” or the Universe or “chance” to inform your action. But there’s a whole range of possibilities between those two sides of the coin.

Rolling the d20 is like flipping a coin, but it gives you a sort of insight scale to guide your decision. For example, if my character wants to explore nearby ruins, I’d roll for investigation. A 20 might mean she finds a rare treasure. 12 could mean she finds some gold pieces. 5 might find her surrounded by snakes or something. Typically, rolls higher than 10 have positive outcomes where lower than 10 could have neutral or even negative outcomes.

Glux and I used a /roll bot in Slack to plan our joint birthday party next weekend 🎉🍾👯‍♀️

Ok. That’s kind of a silly example, but shows a practical use, especially when you’re as indecisive as I can be! Unlike tarot cards, d20 works best for yes/no questions. The closer to 20 you roll, the more enthusiastically you should go for it! If you roll low, maybe think of other options or different timing. Interpretation is largely left to your imagination to populate the scale.

If you want to pick out a d20 to give dice divination a shot, consider picking different colored die for specific purposes: Green or gold for career, finance, or money decisions. Red/pink for love and relationships. Purple for creative pursuits and guidance. Of course, as always, go with what calls to you!

I jumped into this latest interview with one of my more advanced decks. The Wild Unknown replaces the knights and pages with “son” and “daughter” cards for each suite. The imagery, while whimsical and gorgeous, presents in a watercolor minimalist style that connects deeply with nature instead of adhering to the traditional tarot symbolism. So I’m still pretty married to the guidebooks when I read from this deck.

Tell me about yourselfDaughter of Wands
I am a truly visionary deck. Stronger than my soft appearance suggests. A free spirit who embraces transformation. I’m passionate and emotionally-driven. I’m very excited to connect with you and begin our journey together.

What are your strengths?Ace of Pentacles
Every tree begins with a small seedling. I will be the soil that grounds you. My connection to all things natural will nurture our relationship into a blossoming tree bearing fruit to nourish you on this journey. My specialty is turning passion into opportunity and turning opportunity into wealth of various forms. I will help you manifest abundance through the things you already love.
What are your limitations?Daughter of Pentacles
I can only take you so far. You need to stay focused on the tangible outcomes to fulfill our work.

What are you here to teach me?Temperance
You’ve never been very good at balance, even though it’s balance you seek. I want to help bring harmony to your life. I will teach you how to heal and renew. Through our connection and work, you will learn to better trust the ebb and flow of the Universe and let go so you may flow within her.

How can we best collaborate?The Moon
Embrace your light and shadow so you can keep the whole picture in view. Sometimes you miss the forest for the trees. Let go of mental blocks so we can enjoy the path to our destination.

What’s the potential outcome of our relationship?IX of Wands
We will go far together, to the moon, step by step. The gaps in knowledge and skill will close to bring abundance. Don’t ever stop climbing. Push on and let nothing stand in your way.

The Wild Unknown carries the most peaceful energy of any deck I’ve used. I turn to this deck in times of great stress or conflict to get a deep breath of practicality.

After a very intense Splatfest that resulted in a heartbreaking loss for Team Money💸👼🏻, I was ready to dive into something new. On Friday, Nintendo released Bayonetta 2 for Switch. The physical copy comes with a code for the first Bayonetta game so I figured this was a good time to give the series a go. Ryan sweetly picked me up a copy and my long weekend disappeared into Vigrid.

First of all, this is not the kind of game I’m used to seeing on a Nintendo console. I wrote emails to Nintendo for MONTHS begging them to bring The Binding of Issac to 3DS. I always got the response that due to the religious themes and overtones of the game, they weren’t allowing it. That game is now out on both 3DS and Switch. In Bayonetta, you are literally a bad-as-fuck dark witch whose main goal is essentially to destroy God as well as all the angels and beings of light that may stand in your way. It’s brutal. It’s incredible!

I’m a big fan of the noir style of the game. Many cut scenes employ still frames of film scrolling by to help tell the story. There are a lot of sepia-toned flashbacks, black and white and red lipstick, and of course, gangsters and shady bartenders who might be devils. Rodin might be my favorite NPC.

Bayonetta is on a mission to uncover her past as well a mysterious jewel called the Right Eye. On her journey, she fights all manner of cherubim and demi-dieties who hint at her impending role in the resurrection of Jubileus, The Creator. I did not immediately notice that her outfit is composed of her own hair, which she can also wield as a conduit to summon demons!. The hair dragon and hair raven were two of my favorite manifestations.

Of course, the game is deeply sexy, but Bayonetta is always in full control of her sexual agency, which I really appreciate. She’s not there to be sexy for the male characters; she’s there being sexy for herself and kicking angel ass. It’s so refreshing to play a female protagonist who is so unapologetically feminine and fearless. Aside from her gun-heeled stilettos, she keeps her outfit changes in a compact and fires her lipstick like a bullet to finish a critical battle near the end of the game. So empowering.

I played through this game with my jaw on the floor mostly. The innuendo. The violent and graphic destruction of angelic beings. Bayonetta’s nudity every time she summons another hair demon. This has to be my favorite scene of all time.

It never gets old and I cannot stop watching it! Bayonetta is the witch I’ve always wanted to be. How did I not play this game sooner? I’m looking forward to playing Bayonetta 2 this week. Until Then, don’t ever forget these immortal words of wisdom: